Virginia is for "free riders" (not lovers)

Tom Toles Editorial Cartoon. Washington Post.
It's time for a new tee shirt. Flickr photo from Miz Ginevra.

Today's Post, in "Metro Board Wants Va. Budgeters to Help, or at Least Not Hinder," reports on the WMATA Board of Directors seemingly taking some direction from this blog (although the argument is obvious and I can't take any credit for it). From the article:

Nearly 10,000 Prince William County residents ride Metrorail on an average weekday, according to a survey released yesterday. That kind of ridership would translate into a hefty subsidy -- if Prince William were among the local and state governments that support the area transit system. But Prince William pays nothing to Metro. And lately, lawmakers who represent the county have joined in killing a bill that would have helped ensure financial stability for the transit system with a steady source of funding.

Yesterday, Metro board members directed the agency's top executive to write a letter to Virginia lawmakers, outlining the benefits their constituents -- especially those in Prince William -- receive from the transit system, even though their jurisdictions are not paying for it...

"Prince William, with three times the amount of riders [as Falls Church], is paying nothing," said Jim Graham, who represents the District on the Metro board and calculated that the county's subsidy would be $5 million a year, based on ridership. "Send the delegates a bill," Graham said. "Let them know what they ought to be paying."

Note that these points were made in a couple blog entries last week:

-- Regionalism, politics, and Prince William County, Virginia;
-- A New Battle from Bull Run--Prince William County tells the DC Region to DROP DEAD!
-- More about the Third Battle of Bull Run: The nays
-- Virginia House reconsidering WMATA sales tax and thoughts about DC subsidies of Maryland and Virginia (this entry includes Sam Smith's counter-thoughts about DC subsidy of suburban transit)

Prince William County Bus service to the WMATA service area


Virginia Railway Express service to the WMATA service area




Index Keywords: transit